LTE vs 3G: What’s the Difference?

03 May LTE vs 3G: What’s the Difference?

If you own a smartphone and you’ve ever looked in the corner of your screen, you may have seen 3G or LTE.

And guess what? If you have a security system, it runs off of one of these, too.

But what exactly is 3G and LTE? What is the difference between them, and is one better than the other?

Let’s quickly run through and answer these questions, so you can understand the difference and make an educated decision when it comes to the services you’re offered.

3G and LTE Explained

These two terms refer to different types of network technology, more importantly, the generation of the technology.

Essentially, 3G stands for third generation network, and LTE stands for long term evolution.

The 3G network is older than LTE, consequently, it isn’t as fast. LTE has actually been reported to be around 10x faster than 3G networks -quite a bit faster!

So what does this mean for those with alarm systems on LTE?

For a customer on LTE, sending commands to arm and disarm the system or unlock and lock a door will be even faster and more responsive. (Nice, right?)

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But there’s also more to the 3G and LTE match up than just the speed of the networks.

Much like its predecessor 2G (yes, that existed up until a few months ago and stands for second generation network) there is talk that the 3G network will go down the same path.

So what exactly happened with 2G? The 2G network was recently sunsetted a couple months ago, meaning the 2G network was phased out and terminated. Because of this, all systems and technology running on the 2G network had to be updated.

That said, all 3G networks are essentially time stamped with an inevitable expiration date. Exactly when that will happen, no one is quite sure, though some sources believe it could be sooner rather than later, and a lot of companies are actually starting to turn away from 3G due to this speculation to avoid the hassle of needing to update previously installed systems and technologies.

The Takeaway

Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve discussed:

When it comes down to it, LTE is the better option for your alarm system.

3G won’t be around much longer.

What does this mean for you, exactly?

If you’re currently looking to protect your home with a top-of-the-line alarm system like ADT Pulse, opt for LTE. You’ll get a faster, better responsive service.

Not sure where to get started? Getting your security system is super easy. Just click here and find out what we’ll give you for FREE when your system is installed.

If you already have a security system that is running on LTE, go ahead and kick your feet up. If you’re system is currently running on a 3G network, you may want to consider switching to LTE.

Switching to an LTE system is usually pretty easy. In most cases all you need to do is swap the card out in your keypad.

Have any other questions about 3G or LTE? Go ahead and leave a comment below!